For purposes of indicating marketing parameters, e.g. manufacturer, price, size and the like, one current practice is to use a so-called "swift tag" involving a plastic filament which is passed through an opening in a tag bearing the marketing parameters and through a garment or the like and is then secured at filament ends to remain with the garment until the filament is cut apart at checkout.
One of applicant's fields of endeavor has been so-called "folding tail" hangers for the display of belts, ties and the like. Article identification data and logo are typically embossed on a main body portion of folding tail hangers. One such folding tail hanger is discussed and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,741. A characteristic of this type of hanger not found in prior folding tail hangers is that, when the tail is applied to an article and the tail projection inserted into the main body opening for latching the tail to the main body, a conical main body part extending rearwardly of the main body rear surface continues the opening and so retains the tail projection that tail is not separable from the main body without cutting activity. This type of hanger is accordingly referred to as a "security" hanger. A practice of one major retailer is to require all articles adapted to be hung by security hangers be so displayed.
One type of article identification device having security aspects and having virtual universal applicability to articles is the so-called "seal", such as is shown in Mainetti U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,055. The seal of the '055 patent comprises a plastic body having a flexible cord passing through and secured in the body and extending outwardly of the body to a cord free end which has hooks secured thereto and of configuration providing for irreversible insertion in the plastic body. In addition to the body and the cord, the seal of the '055 patent has plates bearing logo/article indication applied to the plastic body to close the same. In use, the hook and cord are passed through an opening of, e.g., a watch band, and the hook is then inserted into the plastic body.
A widespread further practice in article security is the use of so-called anti-theft tags which incorporate electronic article surveillance (EAS) markers. Such tags are secured to articles and are removed or rendered inactive at checkout. Where fraudulent avoidance of checkout (shop-lifting) occurs, the markers are sensed by EAS systems, e.g., at store exits, and suitable alarm is generated.
One form of EAS marker in widespread use is in the form of a flat, thin, flexible, rectangular member which is applied adhesively to flat or curved surfaces of articles. The major retailer referred to above decided further to require that EAS markers be applied to various articles to reduce losses due to shoplifting.
Applicant came to recognize a failure of the foregoing described available article indicators to meet the last-mentioned major retailer requirement.